


Patient Report; by Dr H. Quinzel

by Cassplay



Category: Batman: Arkham - All Media Types, DC Animated Universe (Timmverse), DCU (Comics), Harley Quinn (Comics), Harley Quinn: The Animated Series, Poison Ivy (Comics)
Genre: Anti-Capitalist Poison Ivy, Arkham Asylum, Dark, Documentation, F/F, Gen, Interviews, Pre-Joker Harleen, Pre-Relationship, Psychologists & Psychiatrists, Tragedy, Trans Female Character, Trans Poison Ivy, Vague Continuity, dr harleen quinzel, mockumentary
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-22
Updated: 2019-07-31
Packaged: 2020-05-16 10:34:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 19,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19316425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cassplay/pseuds/Cassplay
Summary: Newly arrived in Arkham Asylum, Dr Harleen Quinzel is assigned a number of patients, one of these being the Floral Femme Fatale Poison Ivy [backspaces] Ms Pamela Isley.Presented in the form of reports by Dr Quinzel.





	1. Report 01: Background

**Author's Note:**

> Just writing this casually, don't expect much plot progression, just character stuff.
> 
> I'm no expert in psychology, so if I'm off base please let me know.  
> This is set in a vague Timmverse/Arkhamverse and in the nineties, so expect most terminology/legal stuff to match.
> 
> Inspired by the upcoming Harley Quinn Cartoon, the Podcast 'The Arkham Sessions', and Ivy having big trans energy.
> 
> CW for discussion of transphobia, abuse, rape, and much more down the line.

A Preliminary Report by Dr Harleen Quinzel on patient 181-06-66, Pamela Isley, known by the moniker of ‘Poison Ivy’, also previously known as [Redacted] Isley.

I was not aware of the specifics of Ms Isley’s case before I was hired at Arkham. I was aware of her, of course, having lived in Gotham for several years now. I was present at one of her escapades before I began employment at Arkham, the Parklands Incident to be precise. I have brought this up with management but they have assured me that they are satisfied that I will be able to conduct myself well, and without bias.

From what little she has talked about over her months here at Arkham, and from something listed as ‘Source A’, Ms Isley is some form of metahuman. Previously a Botanist, her supervisor Jason Woodrue forcefully injected her with a serum, which induced the changes in her physiology.

Down to a genetic level she is a human/plant hybrid, although there has been little success narrowing down this down to any one plant in particular. It seems every time Botanists get close to finding an exact species another will point to a piece of information contradicting it. She displays many traits of Nonvascular plants, gymnosperms, and Angiosperms, even some non-plant traits unrelated to her prior non-hybridised state. Several Bacterial, specifically Cyanobacterial, Molluscan, and fungal traits have been observed in her physiology.

This hybrid nature expresses itself extremely prominently. Her blood, while still able to and necessary for carrying oxygen around her body, is extremely saturated with simple sugars like sucrose. Her triglyceride reserves are dangerously low. It is hypothesised this is because of her extremely high glucagon levels, possibly indicating overactive Alpha Cells in the liver. A liver Biopsy is not possible at this time due to Ms Isley’s rapid digestion and disposal of drug compounds, including anaesthetics. Attempting an invasive procedure without a general anaesthesia would likely result in injury and death (see below).

Her basal skin cells contain large amounts of chloroplasts, the organelle in plants that houses chlorophyll. This gives her skin a green hue that has been seen to change based on her health, mood, and possibly at will. These chloroplasts greatly reduce her dependence on food consumed by necessary humans, but she will partake from the Arkham cafeteria from time to time.

In addition to a near immunity to drugs and toxins, Ms Isley is able to produce them rapidly. She can direct them to anywhere near the surface of her skin. It is believed that more can be channelled through her mucous membranes than through other surfaces. Many of these toxins are airborne, and she should be treated with extreme caution. Various toxins have been contained and analysed, she can use them to induce unconsciousness, arousal, anxiety, death and possibly many more.

She also has the ability to control plants near her. She can make them grow at an increased rate, and has dextrous control over them. As such, security has her in a cell far from plants. It has been suggested by one of my colleagues that she should be given a small plant for good behaviour. Although this would help with her treatment, in my opinion the danger to other patients and staff is too great to consider this as an option.

I have chosen not to include my conclusions about her psychological profile in this report. Nor will I speculate on her mental health until I have interviewed her personally.


	2. Report 02: First Contact

The contents of this report are that of a short transcript of my first interview with Ms Isley. My own annotations for explanation and further details will by enclosed by square brackets.

As with all of Ms Isley’s sessions, she is restrained by handcuffs attached to her chair to prevent physical touch. But not so tightly as to prevent freedom of movement.

Harleen Quinzel (HQ): Hello Ms Isley, I’m Dr Quinzel.

Pamela Isley (PI): Where’s Dr Keller?

HQ: Doctor Keller has been transferred.

PI: And you’re his replacement?

HQ: That’s correct.

PI: Why?

HQ: I’m afraid I’m not at liberty to discuss that.

[Dr Keller tested positive for a mild dopamine variant after his last counselling session with Ms Isley.]

PI: I overdid it again, didn’t I? He would have fallen for me eventually without chemical help, but I get impatient.

HQ: As I said, Ms Isley, I’m not going to discuss that with you.

PI: What was it that gave it away? It was the Modafinil, wasn’t it? Or perhaps the Oroxylin?

HQ: I Was hoping to discuss you, rather than Dr Keller.

PI: That’s what I am doing, Dr Quinzel; or would you rather I make the same mistakes with you that I did Keller?

HQ: I think you’ll find I won’t be as difficult to take in as my colleague, Ms Isley.

PI: Please, call me Ivy, or Pamela.

HQ: I’d prefer to stick to surname basis for our first session.

PI: Just like I thought, you are going to be just as easy as Keller.

HQ: What exactly do you mean by that?

PI: You’re legally required to maintain a professional exterior and refer to me as Miss, but acknowledging my chosen name is far more real, far more confronting. If you can still think of me as [redacted] Isley, the obvious attraction you feel for me isn’t as far from your perceived sense of self as if you did acknowledged me as a woman.

HQ: You seem quite knowledgeable about my field, Pamela.

PI: It’s a requirement of the situation. Just like you require yourself to try and prove me wrong.

HQ: I-

PI: Oh, don’t get me wrong, I’m not going to make a formal complaint; you just suffer from the same biases all your species does.

[Short Lapse in conversation as I gather my thoughts.]

HQ: You say ‘Your species’, what do you mean by that?

PI: Surely you read your many predecessors’ notes? Crescen took extensive ones on my psychology.

HQ: I was hoping to hear it from you.

PI: Didn’t want to further bias yourself? Very well.

HQ: Please do not try to provoke me, Pamela.

PI: Why not? It would be the quickest way to initiate skin to skin contact.

HQ: Because it reflects poorly on you.

PI: Perhaps, but your pillaging of this planet reflects poorly on you.

HQ: What do you mean by pillaging?

PI: The irreversible damage done to the planet, of course. Habitat destruction, over-farming, [she shudders] lawns, so much more.

HQ: Over-farming?

PI: Over forty percent of produce is shredded and sent to landfill, never even to see shelves in those churches of consumerism.

HQ: That’s quite unfortunate.

PI: Not just unfortunate, the land used to grow that refuse is deadened in the process, deforestation is just the tip of the iceberg of humanity’s foolishness.

HQ: Again, you set yourself apart from humanity, why?

PI: People like you barred me from that concept long ago, why would I embrace it now you wish me to? Besides, have you seen me?

HQ: That was wrong of them. But can you say that you see no resemblance to humans in yourself?

PI: No.

HQ: About this ‘foolishness’ you claim humans have.

PI: We’re both Scientists, although rather different fields, surely you know that humans are responsible for the world changing around us?

HQ: I am.

PI: You have been told time and again that you won’t even survive a hundred years if you continue like this. Yet you continue destroying your only hope for survival, and ignoring the warning signs.

HQ: I-

PI: Don’t bother telling me to call me senator or whatever, you know they’re all bought.

HQ: You believe structural change is impossible through democracy?

PI: What is democracy but billionaires playing at empathy? We have known about Global warming for nearly 40 years, and you are all still going to die. You are going to choke on the gases you unleashed upon the wind.

HQ: Is the situation really that bad in your mind?

PI: In my mind? You think I’m alone in this belief? That it’s some sort of hallucination?

HQ: That wasn’t exactly what I meant-

PI: Of course, it wasn’t, you just don’t want me doing what is necessary to save you. All of you should be down on your knees thanking me, but instead you lock me up and try to convince me the screams I hear aren’t real.

[This is potentially a breakthrough, although Ms Isley has revealed several symptoms, some related to her crusade, she has not mentioned auditory hallucinations before now.]

HQ: These voices, what do they say?

PI: You can’t hear them, you wouldn’t understand.

HQ: Please, help me understand.

PI: You don’t want to understand; you just want me to stop doing what is necessary.

HQ: I do want to understand, so we can work through-

[At this point the interview was cut short, Ms Isley became distressed and I was forced to exit the room. As the standard knock-out gas is ineffective against Ms Isley she was allowed to wear herself out. Officer Dalton donned protective gear and entered the cell, moving her to the bed. After this the cell was locked and the UV lights were switched on to assist in her rejuvenation.]

Throughout my first formal interview with Ms Isley she remained convinced of both her own superiority, and that her environmental crusade is the only way to avert a future catastrophe.

Several past doctors have suggested that this superiority complex may be a symptom of a narcissistic or histrionic personality disorder. While I can not disregard these entirely, it is improper to say for sure at this early stage.

Ivy insists that she is above humans, sees us as easy to manipulate, shallow etc. Although it was only after the incident that transformed her into a plant/human hybrid that this sense of superiority appeared, she was keenly interested in environmental protection before.

I find this interesting when talked about in the context of her transgenderism. She transitioned from male to female during her university studies at Gotham State. Perhaps she was drawn to the field from the way some plants blur the line between male and female? Sometimes there exist different reproduction organs on the same plant, or even the same flower.

Which is not to suggest that Ms Isley is not a woman; doing so in front of her has caused her to lash out on many occasions both against orderlies and other patients. The latest being by Edward Nigma, who was extracted to Gotham Central Hospital for blood toxicity when she flooded him with a handful of different compounds.


	3. Report 03: Face Association

As with the previous report, most of it will be taken up by a transcript of an interview between myself and Ms Isley. This time I chose to have her focus on her relationships with the people she has spent extended time with or have had an impact on her life.

Pamela Isley (PI): Welcome back, Dr Quinzel.

Harleen Quinzel (HQ): Thank you, Pamela.

PI: I see you’ve dispensed with ‘Ms Isley’.

HQ: I took what you said to heart.

PI: But not everything, I see; or you would be freeing me.

HQ: No, not everything. Please, call me Harleen.

[I am attempting to open Ms Isley up to form a bond with me by asking her to use my first name. Partly to help her with her mental recovery, and also to ascertain if her lack of close relationships is psychological or the result of the importance she puts on her crusade.]

PI: Very well, Harleen.

[I am aware that this bond may extend both ways, possibly compromising me in my position as her doctor. But In my experience a healthy rapport with a patient is paramount to success.]

HQ: Thank you, Pamela.

PI: So, what did you want to ask this time? Perhaps delve into why I’ve been killing all the guests at the hotel while dressed as my mother?

[I have been informed since that this is a reference to a film.]

HQ: I- no?

PI: Never mind, what were you really here for?

HQ: I was hoping we could talk about some people from your life. I’ll be showing you a photograph, and I’d like you to tell me the first thing that pops into your head.

PI: Sure.

HQ: Alright, first one.

[I hold up a picture of Harvey Dent, the current District Attorney]

PI: Who’s that?

HQ: Wha-? That’s Harvey Dent, the Lawyer you seduced over six months.

PI: Oh, of course.

HQ: Is that all?

PI: Nothing stands out about him really, apart from his position, and that coin gimmick he’s got; he’ll probably be in here soon.

HQ: Coin gimmick?

PI: He has this quarter with two heads, uses it to make bets he knows he will win with people; he was doing it all the time. It was annoying after the third time.

HQ: Okay then, next.

[I hold up a photograph of James Gordon]

PI: I really don’t know what you seek to accomplish by showing me people who hold no interest with me.

HQ: This is James Gordon, the current Police Commissioner, he testified at your last hearing.

PI: Is he a father?

HQ: I’m not sure.

PI: Next time you see him, ask him why he wishes his children to die in the oncoming catastrophes that he is helping cause.

HQ: I’m not going to do that Pamela.

PI: Bootlicker.

HQ: Pamela, I don’t want to have to cut this interview short.

PI: Fine, next.

[the next photograph is a photograph of one of Ms Isley’s fellow patients, the Joker]

PI: The Clown?

HQ: Yes, I thought we might have more progress discussing other… rogues, as it were.

PI: He’s kind of a creep, but he’s not the worst in here. I worked with him once or twice.

[This should be investigated further, according to the records there is only one recorded instance of Ms Isley working with the Joker, when they broke into Kord Tech’s Gotham lab to steal various scientific equipment. The Joker’s share was recovered and was ascertained to have been used to produce Joker Gas, Ms Isley’s take is still unaccounted for.]

HQ: Who would you say is the worst?

PI: I haven’t really thought about it… off the top of my head: One of those Doll creeps.

HQ: I am familiar with both the profiles of… Dollmaker and Professor Pyg.

PI: Ugh. What’s that look, Harleen? Were you expecting something different?

HQ: Honestly, yes.

PI: Who?

HQ: Firefly.

PI: Oh, him. Not really, he’s pretty firmly urban. As long as he keeps his hoses away from the Botanical Gardens, we’ve got no reason to quarrel apart from his use of fossil fuels in that horrid jet-pack of his. Although fire is bad for me, and many other plants, there are some that depend on it to flourish.

HQ: Perhaps the next one…

[The photgraphs continue, nothing notable comes of them until we move past the patients and onto Batman]

PI: Batman, seriously?

HQ: He has had quite the impact on you.

PI: Maybe, but he’s a footnote at best.

HQ: What do you mean by that?

PI: He’s just another obstacle, just like a CEO.

HQ: You seem quite confidant in this.

PI: Oh yes, he’s probably on the payroll of Ace Chemicals or some other parasite draining the life from the planet. As soon as the money dries up, he’ll be gone.

HQ: Alright then.

[I reveal a photograph of her father.]

PI: No comment.

HQ: Pamela, that isn’t how this works.

PI: I said, no comment.

HQ: Very well, but I would like to discuss this at a later date.

[The interview ended semi-cordially at this point.]

 

Ms Isley’s apathy towards her victims has been noted in previous records, but I must say it surprised me when she seemed to be unable to remember the face of Harvey Dent. For those unaware, shortly before her first incarceration here she seduced the Prosecutor over a period of six months. It is important to note that none of her known toxins have been found in blood sample records taken from Mr Dent just after the period.

It is possible that this apathy could stem from her own identification as outside humanity. Referring to my previous report where she insisted that all of humanity is going to die due to the changing climate, in linking this statement to her crusade; and the impact on humanity if she were to succeed indicates to me that she may care for some aspect of humanity.

That all being said, this apathy may be out of desperation to accomplish her mission, and disgust at those she sees as impeding her. Although I find this hard to understand given that, to my knowledge, Harvey Dent was not attempting to impede her. Between now and my next report I will be looking up Dent’s case records for anything that may have peaked Ms Isley’s interest. While his position then as a senior prosecutor would provide her with power by proxy, it seems to be a far cry from the sort she needs to accomplish her mission. It may be that she was planning to use him as a jumping off point, seducing various political figures, to climb a governmental chain; or to find her way into industrial corporations.

With respect to her dubbing Professor Pyg, and the Dollmaker the worst of Gotham’s rogues, I cannot in a professional capacity comment on either.

While I have extremely limited experience with the ‘villains’ of Gotham; during my time here, I have been having regular sessions with the Joker, Arnold Wesker, and Jonathan Crane. Before I began my posting here at Arkham I was rather intimidated by the building and the mystique of its patients, but since then the three have been doing fairly well.

Although the Joker is one of Gotham’s bogeymen, Ms Isley’s implication that he isn’t so bad, as well as my own sessions, have raised my confidence in him.

Mr Wesker is a perfect gentleman, but deeply troubled. Living with dissociative identity disorder is difficult at best, but even more so when there is a very physical and distinctive trigger that causes an antisocial personality like Scarface to ‘hop into the driver’s seat. I see no reason why Mr Wesker cannot be reintroduced to society relatively soon, so long as he keeps with frequent counselling. My recommendation to his future psychologists is to NOT try immersion therapy.

I applied personally to be psychological counsel to Dr Crane. I was a frequent reader of his work during my university years at Rutgers. Unfortunately, since the first session his fascination with fear has made it difficult to work with him on himself. I was able to bridge this gap by asking him about one of his scholarly articles about the effect of a vegetarian diet on adrenaline production while under stress.

Returning to Ms Isley.

I was quite interested in what Ms Isley’s response to Batman would be, given that he (and his associates) are responsible for putting her in Arkham Asylum multiple times. I was actually hesitant to put a photograph of him in the list, I was not sure if she would react violently. When she reacted like she did I was quite confused. She categorised him as just another obstacle for her to overcome in her crusade.

Far from it, in my opinion; he seems to be the only foe that she has not been able to overcome through her standard means. Perhaps she is merely ignoring that he is a problem to her? Whether through procrastination at having to face him, or if she is ignoring his impact on her crusade because she wishes him to stop her. The second option seems unlikely but should be considered. It lends credence to the possibility that she could be rehabilitated, although that seems unlikely given her unique condition.

Ms Isley’s response to her father was expected. Although it was not known at the time, her father was the first victim of her poisonous touch. His body was discovered a few days after Ms Isley’s accident with Jason Woodrue. She was recorded as missing for a time before she resurfaced as Poison Ivy. After her first arrest an unknown chemical in her father’s body was matched with a common poison in her system.

Although I do not know the specifics of the incident, it is known that their relationship was rather strained.


	4. Report 04: Arkham and Security

During the time between report 03 and now a small breakout occurred at Arkham Asylum. Escaped patients include Oswald Cobbelpot (The Penguin), Jervis Tetch (The Mad Hatter), Matt Hagen (Clayface), and my patient Ms Isley. Although details are still being unravelled, it is clear that associates of Mr Cobbelpot orchestrated an explosion through the outer walls of Arkham Asylum in order to free him. In doing so they also partly removed the wall of Mr Tetch’s cell, who took advantage of the confusion to escape. Ms Isley and Mr Hagen’s containment cells were also damaged, and they were able to escape using their abilities.

I have very little to say on Mr Cobbelpot. The less said about Mr Tetch the better.

But as for Matt Hagen, it is very difficult to not feel any amount of sympathy for him. An Actor at the top of his game, the car crash, and addiction to the experimental Renuyou formula, it is truly a tragedy what happened to him.

Arkham’s reputation as being easier to escape from than a wet paper bag is not altogether unwarranted. To the rogues of Gotham, according to my patient Mr Wesker, Arkham has become something of a ‘holiday house’ for them, dropping in and out as they please. Although the security in place seems flashy it is far laxer than it appears. For example, I have reason to believe that the Warden uses his wife’s birthday as his passcode.

Arkham is hardly ideal outside of security also. The gothic architecture may be fascinating, but it is hardly appropriate for a place that should be trying to treat people. Although guards may be necessary in some cases, in others they make things far worse. In the few weeks I’ve been here I have found nowhere for patients (and other staff) to formally lodge a complaint against them when they abuse the power entrusted to them by the justice system.

I will say this in Arkham’s favour, it is far better for its patients than Blackgate, or Stryker’s Island are for their prisoners. For those not aware when a rogue in Gotham is sentenced, they are given a choice between going to prison, or to Arkham. The implied choice being Arkham is a way to rehabilitate back into being a functional member of society. Of course, with some, like Mr Hagen, that is not an option because of their obvious meta-human status.

But as mentioned above, Arkham is hardly the best place to do so.

As for Ms Isley, I am unaware as to her location and what she may be planning. This will most likely be the last of my reports on her until she shows herself in public, or is recaptured, most likely by Batman.

As much as I appreciate his crimefighting activities, I find it troubling the length he goes to when recapturing Arkham patients. Although I do think he is in the right to prevent the loss of life at the hands of Gotham’s rogues, beating them up to such a degree seems cruel. This cannot be good for their potential recoveries either.

Many of the patients here suffered severe physical abuse during childhood. I cannot divulge who other than my own clients in my reports. Being send back here in plaster casts by Batman can hardly help. The association that would build up over time would lessen the benefits of treatment here and potential at other psychiatric institutions.

Take for example one of my patients, I was rather surprised to find out that the Joker experienced physical abuse by his father as a child. I have looked over his other psychiatrist’s reports and have not found mention of this in any of them. I seem to have finally made a real breakthrough with him.

Messrs Wesker, Crane, and Joker are still in custody and I will be reporting on their treatment over the coming weeks. Until Ms Isley returns there will unlikely be reports on her for the time being.


	5. Report 05: Ex Medias Res

Ms Isley has resurfaced.

This impromptu report is being written as news comes in during the hostage situation at the Gotham Conservatorium’s newly opened concert hall. A number of government officials and businesspeople are in attendance, including our own Jeremiah Arkham. As I understand, the tickets were very expensive.

According to the Conservatorium’s website the event is a fundraiser that is to be used for ‘Campus Beatification’. Although what exactly that entails, I’m not entirely sure of. Presumably Ivy is sceptical that it will be used to plant a rose garden.

According to the police she used the decorative plants at each of the doorways to bind them shut. For some reason I simply can’t comprehend the event had only minimal security inside the hall. Next to no security. In this city I just see no reason to do so unless you couldn’t afford it, especially at an event like that.

The police have surrounded the building and are holding steady so Ms Isley doesn’t hurt any hostages. Why she’s taking hostages I’m not sure, it doesn’t seem like her style. From what she’s said I’d think she’d just kill the various CEOs in attendance. The police haven’t said what she’s demanding yet, but I don’t think it’s money.

The situation has been broadcasting for a while, Batman is probably on his way by now. Misguided though she may be, I hope she isn’t hurt too badly. I don’t envy whoever is going to have to work with Ms Isley after this. Oh wait, that’s lil’ old me.

The cameras just noticed a shadow land on top of the building. Probably Batman. This should be over soon.

 

An hour after the previous paragraph and Batman has emerged from the concert hall with Ms Isley in handcuffs. She doesn’t look too worse for wear, but she is sporting quite a bit of bruising. I can’t help but wonder if that level of force on Batman’s part was necessary. If this is how he handles a simple hostage situation held by a single woman I really hope that none of our other current patients escape while he’s being so… aggressive. He’s kinda slim looking, too? Maybe someone switched his protein powder for flour and he’s still trying to get the taste outta his mouth?

All the hostages seem to have been accounted for. They’re exiting now. Mr Arkham is safe, I can see him on the tv, as well as Commissioner Gordon, and Bruce Wayne.

The situation seems to have been diffused, I will be discussing her motives with Ms Isley as soon as I am able.


	6. Report 06: Crusade

The contents of this report include a transcript of my first session with Ms Isley after her capture during the Conservatorium incident.

HQ (Harleen Quinzel): Hello again, Pamela.

PI (Pamela Isley): Hello yourself.

HQ: I was hoping to talk to you about the conservatorium incident.

PI: What’s there to talk about? I already told the police everything they needed.

HQ: I want to hear it from your perspective. Like, why you chose that event? Why a charity concert?

PI: That was no charity. The money was going to go to ‘Campus Beatification’, you know what that means?

HQ: I’m guessing nothing good.

PI: It means that it’s going straight into the pockets of the bosses. While their students pay tens of thousands in tuition fees, they’re going to stuff their pockets of their backs.

HQ: So, you claim it’s embezzling?

PI: It’s a for-profit institution, which means next to no oversight on how they actually spend money. They’re going to put up a statue or two, maybe some posters telling people to pick up litter, at the most they’ll plant some invasive trees.

HQ: Trees are good, aren’t they?

PI: Invasive trees, all from the same species, probably all dioecious males too; otherwise they’d have to pay someone to pick up the seeds.

HQ: Woah, woah, woah, slow down and explain all that to me.

PI: Ugh, any trees they do plant will be invasive, meaning they aren’t native to the New Jersey area, they’re adapted to a different environment than this and may outgrow native plants. Got that?

HQ: Yes.

PI: And they’re all going to be from a single species, probably a showy one; because that’s how they cover up that they didn’t cost anywhere near what they look like they do. Because they’re all the same species they’ll order them in bulk from a single supplier, which lowers the price even more. That’s not even starting on the problems with floral diversity.

HQ: Tell me about them.

PI: With these invasive species here, the resources available to other plants, native plants, decreases. In a catastrophic event only a small percentage of plants may survive, mostly due to chance less native plants survive, and they’ll just fill the difference again.

HQ: That’s sounding rather republican of you, saying we need to stop plant immigration.

PI: Don’t you dare compare me to those worms! No, not worms; worms serve a function in an ecosystem. Don’t you dare compare me to those humans. This isn’t something the plants choose. Invasive plants are just surviving, it’s the people who put them there to try and create a monotypic flora who are wrong.

HQ: Alright, I’m sorry. I got a little confused. Please continue.

PI: And we come to the most infuriating part. All dioecious males.

HQ: I was wondering what dieshus meant.

PI: Dioecious describes plants where each individuals trends towards a one of two distinct reproductive organ.

HQ: Like animals.

PI: If it can get you to understand, sure. Generally the ‘male’ plants release pollen, which fuses with the egg of a ‘female’ plant. Being dioecious is generally a helpful trait in maintain genetic diversity within a species, as there’s a far far lower likelihood of self-fertilisation.

HQ: Far far lower? Don’t you mean no likelihood?

PI: Of course, I don’t. Many Dioecious plants can change sex when they need to.

HQ: Like you did?

PI: Again, if it can get you to understand, sure. Although this process is quite rare, so it is not often seen. They’ll choose to get only Androdioecious plants because they don’t drop seeds, which would need to be cleaned up.

HQ: Isn’t that good? Then they can save money and they won’t reproduce.

PI: As I said before, the whole point of this beatification is stuffing their pockets, they have more than enough money to provide a job for someone to clean up the seeds. Although I will concede that you are correct that the invasive species will not be able to reproduce. But there are other drawbacks to using only the ‘male’ trees.

HQ: Drawbacks?

PI: To you people. Pollen allergies have skyrocketed since urban planning started using exclusively androdioecious plants in cities. Cutback in urban planning raises profits in medical.

HQ: Huh, I’d never heard of that.

PI: It’s well documented, botany is somewhat nuanced, but not so much as your own field.

HQ: About psychology, I was hoping you could answer some questions for me, so I could get a clearer picture of the events that night.

PI: Anything you want, Harleen.

HQ: I- uh.

PI: What’s the matter Harleen? I thought we were on a first name basis?

HQ: Oh, it’s nothing, just a funny nickname one of my other patients has taken to calling me. Now, I wanted to know what your demands were to the police in exchange for the hostages?

PI: Demands? Just my standard set, that a few of the corporations whose CEOs I had captured be shut down in exchange for their release. Waynetech, Ace Chemicals, those sorts of places.

HQ: That hardly seems like the sort of thing the police the police would be resistant about releasing.

PI: Ask them, not me.

HQ: What I’m asking you, Pamela, is if you’re being truthful with me.

PI: I’m telling you the truth, Harleen. If they told the world what I was after I would gain legitimacy. Because they stayed quiet the public could think anything, that I wanted ten billion dollars, I wanted an army of plant people, or that I wanted them to hold a ball in my honour; crazy outlandish stuff like that.

HQ: Thank you, Pamela. I didn’t understand before, and now I think I do.

PI: But you’re not going to let me go, are you?

HQ: Even I would let you go, I wouldn’t now; you wouldn’t get far with those injuries.

PI: I can get further than you think.

HQ: I’m going to put that to the side for now.

PI: You can at least see where I’m coming from with Batman, right?

HQ: With how you say he’s a hired vigilante?

PI: He’s a bodyguard at best. You saw how he came running when billionaires were about to lose their profit makers?

HQ: I did, yes.

[There are a few seconds of silence.]

HQ: Why do you do it, Pamela? Why do you-

PI: I’m the only one here trying to save a dying planet, and you’re asking me why?

HQ: No, what I meant was: why go about it so antagonistically?

PI: You think it would help if I nicely asked billionaires to stop killing you humans for profit?

HQ: Well, not exactly. I was wondering if there might be a less dangerous way for you to try and help without getting beaten up by Batman every other week?

PI: [Lets out a long breath, silent for a moment.]

HQ: Pamela?

PI: I’m trying to stay calm, Harleen.

HQ: Take all the time you need.

PI: I trust you’ve read my history?

HQ: Yes.

PI: Then you’d know I have. I spent most of my adult human life campaigning for sustainability, conservation, environmentalism. Turns out a grassroots campaign doesn’t work if the people your end goal takes even a dime of money from have a lawnmower.

HQ: You were dissatisfied with the results?

PI: To say the least, we drew attention to issues that mattered; like justice for all, and the continued survival of your pathetic little species. Nothing happened. No candidates that actually stood for something good could get off the ground. The ones that were incumbent got there by not caring about you, so why would they change? Besides, they were friends with the nice man from Granva Co., he donated to their re-election campaign, so forest clearing for beef production can’t be that bad.

HQ: Pamela, could you stop doing that?

PI: What? Making sense? I can’t do that, honey; but you’re certainly in the right place to find someone who will.

HQ: No, I meant insulting humans.

PI: Why?

HQ: Because it’s hurtful. Humans aren’t at fault here, just a hundred or so.

PI: You are all complicit. [She attempts to stand] You as well, Harleen! What am I supposed to do? Just wait for you people to die? No matter what sort of death wish you and the guards have to keep me in here, I swear I’m going to save you; even if you seem content to curl up into a ball and boil!

[At this point I decided that Ms Isley was becoming too worked up and exited the room before it was deprived of UV light. As mentioned before this is a slow but effective method of sedating her, due to her immunity to most chemical sedatives.]

I had hoped to discuss her own symptoms more in-depth with Ms Isley, but with the session cut short there way no way that was happening. Perhaps it would be better if I moved the focus off her crusade in future sessions, that seems to get her particularly emotional.

Ms Isley retains quite a lot of information from her time as a botanist. Although I wasn’t testing her for memory issues it is good to see she is not experiencing any. I have gone and independently researched her claim that use of exclusively male plants in urban planning result in more severe pollen allergies and found several articles confirming it from just a cursory glance.

Her anti-corporation leanings seem to be causing paranoia about misuse of charity money and politicians. Its unfortunate that she gives conservationists such a bad name through her actions. Which is probably why politicians are more likely to listen to donors than their constituents.

The way she demeans humans is increasingly distressing, I often find myself aghast that she would say the things she does. She claims that we are all somehow complicit in the complete and utter destruction of the environment. I hardly think I’m at fault here, I recycle and usually take the train when I’m not going to work.

I have contacted the GCPD and asked them to confirm Ms Isley’s demands. They have refused to do so, which is frankly ridiculous. I’m sworn by doctor/patient confidentiality and I need to know if she’s telling the truth in order to treat her. I even tried to contact Mr Arkham, who was in the hostage situation. Yet he said that the GCPD said not to discuss it with me. Surely that’s an overreach of police power?

Finally, onto Batman. The speculation about him continues. Ivy continues claiming he’s hired muscle, but I’m not so sure. I doubt any self-respecting businessman could lower himself to hiring someone to beat up people who clearly just need help. Ms Isley’s injuries are healing at an accelerated rate from what I saw. Although she refused medical attention, one of the doctors revealed to me what his estimation of her injuries included a concussion, several broken or fractured ribs, internal bleeding, and a sliced Achilles tendon, apparently from a thrown blade.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fuck Ginkgos


	7. Report 07: Touch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the longest chapter by far. I'm also a little afraid that Pamela might be a bit out of character in this chapter but it gets into some heavy stuff for her.
> 
> So big warnings for discussion of transphobia, assault, attempted sexual assault, and a whole lot of other stuff probably that I can't recall at the moment.

Transcript begins here:

Harleen Quinzel (HQ): Good Morning Pamela.

Pamela Isley (PI): I’m sorry.

HQ: Excuse me?

PI: I said I’m sorry for yelling at you last session.

HQ: I- This is kinda unexpected.

PI: I was in significant pain, and the willful ignorance of your species frustrates me… but I shouldn’t have shouted at you.

HQ: Thank you, Pamela.

PI: I don’t suppose that thanks extends to letting me go, would it?

HQ: Unfortunately, not.

PI: This does not mean that you aren’t complicit by your own wilful ignorance.

HQ: I wouldn’t expect so.

[Several seconds of silence]

HQ: You were right about Dent.

PI: Who?

HQ: The lawyer you seduced for six months.

PI: you’re going to need to be more specific.

HQ: Harvey Dent, the c-

PI: I know who you mean, Harleen. Yeah, the guy with the coin fetish.

HQ: Well, you were right. He was checked in last night, was in the cafeteria this morning.

PI: Oh, that’s why I didn’t see him.

HQ: You don’t eat much.

PI: No, Photosynthesis is slightly more my thing.

HQ: Except when it comes to chicken parm?

[I have noticed that the majority of times that Ms Isley does make her way to the dining room is when chicken parmigiana is being served.]

PI: Don’t praise those reconstituted squares topped with red sugar sauce and American cheese they serve here by calling them that.

HQ:  Very well, but you seem to have an affinity for it?

PI: I like the salt.

HQ: You like the amount of salt in that... square?

PI: Yes.

HQ: Can I ask why?

PI: You may. It’s hormonal.

HQ: What? You’re getting cravings? Wait, you can’t be pregnant, so what gives?

PI: Not like that. Of course, I can’t get pregnant.

[I’d like to revisit this topic later, Ms Isley seems to have a strange obsession with parenthood.]

PI: It’s to do with my HRT from when I was a human. One of the medications I was on had the annoying side effect of decreasing my salt levels.

HQ: I was wondering, you aren’t on any hormones at the moment.

PI: The government wouldn’t approve that if it would save my life; besides, I’ve got a pseudo-ovary inside me producing all the estrogen I could ever need. I made it myself after I became, well…

HQ: Interesting… I was wondering if we could discus it.

PI: What is ‘It’?

HQ: The incident with Jason Woodrue.

PI: Ah. Well it starts with my final year at Gotham U. I was top of my class and I caught the attention of one of my teachers.

HQ: Jason Woodrue.

PI: No, the head of Zoology; Kirk Langstrom. He introduced me to Woodrue, who offered to be my masters’ degree supervisor. With my… situation, my other options were slim.

HQ: That doesn’t sound great.

PI: Everything progressed well, for a time. My thesis was outstanding if I do say so myself. I sometimes wonder where it ended up, or if it was just forgotten about.

HQ: I could look into your case file if you like.

PI: No need. If you want an example of my work you can probably check any of the papers Woodrue published over those two years.

HQ: He plagiarised you?

PI: Not exactly, he credited me on the papers, but I did far more of the actual work than him. Not just lab work either. He was getting closer and closer to a breakthrough. But you can probably guess what happens next.

HQ: He used you to test his serum.

PI: No, he came onto me.

[at this point I had to take a moment to calm myself, tbd below]

HQ: What an asshole.

PI: Well, he had every reason to find me attractive, but you know men, didn’t want to take no for an answer.

HQ: They don’t, do they?

PI: He got violent; knew he could get away with it if he hurt me no matter what I said.

HQ: I can’t believe that.

PI: Believe it, Harl. In every damn state it’s legal to blame me for my own murder. It’s the nineties for crying out loud.

HQ: But surely-

PI: Think about it, Harleen. What would your life be like if every man you had ever ignored when they catcalled, silently assaulted you in public, any man who you wouldn’t put out for could threaten you with death knowing they would get away with it?

HQ: Pamela, please stop.

[I had begun crying at this point]

PI: Fuck. Har-

[Pamela, Ms Isley, had begun to rise from her chair. Presumably to comfort me, but she was still chained down.]

HQ: It’s okay, Pamela. I just need to pull myself together.

[I mop up the rest of the tears and blow my nose]

PI: I thought the patient was the one supposed to cry.

HQ: Usually. Sorry, that just kinda hit me hard.

PI: That was callous of me, I didn’t consider that… I’m going to have to apologise again, aren’t I?

HQ: No, it’s fine, I kinda pushed you to it anyway. I’ll just have to discuss it with my shrink.

PI: Shrinks have shrinks?

HQ: Like dentists have dentists. Except when you’re a shrink it’s like you’ve got a big sweet tooth.

PI: That can’t be good for you.

HQ: I can handle it, but back to what happened with you.

PI: So, Jason knocked me out, tied me to a chair, and when he woke up, he was injecting his formula.

HQ: I’m sorry, that must have been horrible.

PI: It was, for a time. If I’m honest I should have expected the situation. Testing the formula was just an easy way for him to dispose of me. In the unlikely event I survived I’d probably be a vegetable. Ha. It felt like I was dying, like I was burning from the inside out. Every cell in my body was replaced- All of them.

HQ: This isn’t really the best time for a “and how does that make you feel?” line, is it?

PI: Not really… Don’t get me wrong, I’d give myself the serum again if I had to; Everything I’ve learnt since then, everyone I’ve been trying to help, and my life now, it’s all worth going through what he put me through. I just…

HQ: What is it? Talk to me, Pamela.

PI: I sometimes wonder if that’s true, am I really Pamela Isley? Every cell in my body was replaced. I might not have ever been her. The memories of her life are there, but... I’m so different to her, they could just be copies.

[Video recording shuts off at this point, but audio continues and I will endeavour to recall that to the best of my ability.]

PI: Am I just some ghost, taking over an innocent girl’s body? She fought so hard to make Pamela the name people would call her and I come along and just throw that all away for some species that’s killing itself?

[At this point some roof tiles give way to reveal several vines snaking their way through the exterior walls of the cell. They’re gripping the steel bars that give it structure and I do not think Pamela is controlling them consciously.]

HQ: Pamela…?

PI: Do I even deserve that name? That’s the name of someone who cared. I’m just Poison Ivy, I hurt anyone who I come into contact with.

HQ: Ivy, please, you’re tearing the cell apart.

PI: You’re just trying to help and I hurt you, I hurt the people who I’m trying to save… I hurt-

[I kneel in front of her and take her hand. She jumps slightly.]

HQ: It’s ok. I promise you; things will be okay.

PI: I- you’re touching me.

HQ: Because I trust you not to hurt me.

[Pamela is silent for a while, staring into my eyes.]

PI: You shouldn’t trust like that, especially not in here.

HQ: Maybe, but you haven’t poisoned me yet.

PI: How would you know? It could be slowly burning through the lining of your alveoli, preparing to allow blood to fill your lungs.

HQ: I know because you’re trying to scare me.

[a few seconds passed in silence before I noticed the irritation on the palms of my hands.]

HQ: Pammy!

PI: Stay out of my business. Or else next time it’s neurotoxin instead of an inflammatory chemical signal.

[I made my way to the door, but turned back]

HQ: The guards will probably move you to your other cell this afternoon so they can fix the damage you’ve done to this one.

PI: Don’t trust anyone in Arkham, Harley.

[End Audio Transcript]

I’m ashamed to say that, both literally and metaphorically, Ms Isley got under my skin during the attached session. I have been checked over by medical and they were not able to find anything foreign in my system, or any of Pamela’s more subtle compounds, except the stinging agent. Which was quickly gotten rid of by my own body.

I would like to note that her use of this compound was far less painful than ones she has previously employed. I continue in my hypothesis that she was trying to scare me off. She was suffering a panic attack and lashed out at me as the obvious target, I may have also overstepped by bounds by taking her hand. But really, how are you supposed to counsel someone through panicking that they killed their former selves and stole her body?

So, to start from the beginning: She apologised for shouting at me last session. That is massive. I’ve looked through her files and found no record of her ever apologising to anyone, let alone a psychologist. Although this session ended with significantly worse results than shouting, I think she should be commended for opening up about the incident.

If only all my patients were that co-operative. Dr Crane has taken to testing my basic knowledge of psychology, but can’t accept the fact that things have been learned since he was last studying the basics. I knew small-talk about one of his journal articles wouldn’t last.

While I’m speaking of Dr Crane I might as well mention my other patients. Mr Wesker continues improving and will most likely be discharged within the week.

Mr Joker is doing well too, he’s very friendly, and eager to discuss his issues. I sometimes have a bit of trouble relating, but he suggested that I try to explain how I see it using a situation from my own life, and that’s working well. The method is even helping me solve some of my own problems.

Back to Ivy.

I checked with one of the medics here and she confirmed that some anti-androgens can cause ~~Hyposalinity~~ ~~desalinity~~ lowered salt levels. I find Pamela’s revelation about her custom-made pseudo-ovary rather odd. I thought women were born with all their eggs. But I suppose she’s no ordinary woman; more so species-wise.

Moving onto her story, I did cry during the interview and that was most unprofessional of me. Unfortunately, the story held particular relevance to me, and despite trying my best I just couldn’t hold back. Rest assured I am pursuing counselling, like I told Pamela.

I hadn’t heard of Kirk Langstrom before now, but tabloids indicate he helped Batman stop the Man-Bat. Honestly, that’s a whole ‘nother kettle of fish to fry. It’s a weird coincidence though, that a monster dubbed ‘Man-Bat’ gets loose in the same city as Batman. Maybe that’s just why they named him that? Man-Bat, not Batman, Batman was around first.

Once again, Ivy’s claim checks out, it’s the year of our lord 1992 and you can still use the gay/trans panic defence in court. Its disgusting, honestly, that the justice system is just letting people get away with murder like that.

Oh, and with respect to me agreeing with her that men don’t like taking no for an answer I definitely don’t mean anyone at Arkham, nope, no complaints here.

Ms Isley’s recounting of Dr Woodrue’s assault seems like it would be a major source of trauma if it weren’t for what happened next. That sort of violation of basic human decency is truly horrifying. For anyone to be forcefully experimented on so callously by someone who views them as nothing but an object, it’s difficult to describe how I’m feeling about it.

I’m rather concerned, therefore, that she implied she would use the serum of herself again if it were somehow reversed. Needless to say, her crusade means a lot to her, but I can’t help but feel that there’s something else. There must be something else, her abilities are useful in it, but without them she could still fight against the corporations that are poisoning the world. There’s got to be something.

Her anxiety at having ‘taken over’ the body of Pamela Isley before the formula is troubling. But with my lack of knowledge of the effects of Woodrue’s experiments she could be right. I researched a little bit about the phenomena of possession, it wasn’t really helpful and I’m fairly sure the computer I used may be now playing host to a magical computer virus. For the sake of this possible discussion I will refer to her pre-serum as Pamela, and post-serum as Ivy.

The serum initiated possibly a full cellular reconstruction of Pamela’s body, which includes her brain. It is entirely unsure if Ivy’s brain has the same thought patterns and structure for the same ‘self’ as Pamela. But at the same time that may not matter, we still (unless someone is trying to be rude) refer to people who have gone through traumatic brain injuries as themselves. We can hardly split the two by the physical differences like skin tone and physiology, people are still themselves after they get a tan and/or an autoimmune disease that causes diabtetes.

While it is true that Pamela’s temperament is different to Ivy’s, we only have testimony of others to go off of, hardly enough to judge. Many of the differences are explainable by the trauma of Woodrue’s assault and her subsequent transformation.

Ivy does have Pamela’s memories, which in my opinion, is as close to a ‘self’ you can get. Memories can be lost, forgotten, but they can’t be copied. While this may be explained by the cell to cell nature of the transformation she went through, I believe it may disprove her suspicions.

While the fact that we don’t know if Ivy is a different person than Pamela does not fundamentally matter in the sense that Ivy can go on a live a happy life, it clearly matters to her.

The fact that she feels bad that this is a possibility is almost surprising. I half thought that Ivy would have dismissed Pamela as just another human. As things are, I suspect Ivy’s memories of life as Pamela, and identification with her (despite some anxieties) force her to empathise with her former self.

She also expressed regret at the effects of her crusade. Which is truly incredible. Although I do not think these anxieties are enough for her to go back on it, there is some there. Her lingering on the name of Pamela is interesting. Names are incredibly central to a person’s identity, and changing the one you go by is a big step. In researching through other transgender people, I have found that many are protective of their names for exactly the reason Ivy said. It only makes sense that she might feel some regret over her illegal activities giving her civilian name a worse reputation.

Something I’m intrigued with is her statement that “I hurt anyone who I come into contact with”. Although there have been injuries during her crusade, this doesn’t strike me as the sort of thing she was talking about. Firstly, she has previously said that she holds no regrets for injuring people working to maximise profit at the expense of pollution; but it just seems odd, with her general apathy towards humans. I will be looking into her history further and seeing what she might be referring to from there.

The damage to Pamela’s cell, caused by the vines she subconsciously controlled has been repaired, but for now she will stay in her second cell on my recommendation. Transporting her is unnecessary and may provoke a negative reaction if the UV starvation method is used.

The plant that she controlled to break the cell was from a potted plant in the break-room above her cell. The psychologist’s breakroom. Where it is clearly posted to not bring plant specimens in to prevent what happened during the interview. I have asked security to check the tapes from the breakroom, but the footage during the time it was placed there is corrupted. ~~This whole situation reeks of a cover-up,~~ someone wanted Ivy to use the plant to break out. But why? She has zero known associates, let alone one who would want to break her out. Furthermore, the only people with access to that breakroom is the Arkham staff.

Perhaps this session was on an off day for her, but her breakdown seems out of character for the Pamela I’ve come to know. My current hopes for future sessions are that we will be able to discuss these stresses more.

Oh, one last thing: I’m entirely in the dark by what Ms Isley means when she says to not trust anyone at Arkham, that’s kinda counter to the whole ‘trying to help people’ thing I’m trying to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, you'll be pleased to hear that in just the first half of 2019 (a good thing about this year) about half a dozen states have de-legitimized the trans panic defense.


	8. Report 08: Father

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've planned out the rest of the fic. it's going to be 15 chapters/ 17,500+ words long.

In the time between the previous report and now Matt Hagen has voluntarily returned to Arkham Asylum. His psychiatrist, Dr Hugo Strange, reports he is in the midst of a depressive episode. In my opinion his decision to check himself in, even to here, is a very responsible one.

As for Pamela, she had to be restrained via UV starvation in the dining hall after an altercation with ~~Tw~~ Harvey Dent.

The research into Pamela’s past that I mentioned has been quite fruitful if you’ll pardon the joke. Please find below the transcript of the interview of my latest session with her.

Harleen Quinnzel (HQ): Good morning, Pamela.

[Pamela refuses to speak.]

HQ: Pamela, please talk to me.

Pamela Isley (PI): Fine.

HQ: Thank you.

PI: So?

HQ: I wanted to talk to you about Harvey Dent.

PI: Who?

HQ: Pamela, that’s not going to work again.

PI: Fine, what about him?

HQ: About the argument you had with him in the dining hall the other day.

PI: It was hardly an argument.

HQ: You’re right, it was much more than that. It was a fight.

PI: From his perspective, maybe; I was barely getting warmed up.

HQ: Just tell me what it was about, please.

PI: I don’t know, ask him, he started it.

HQ: I’m asking you.

PI: I have no idea why he was upset.

HQ: Don’t do this, Pamela.

PI: What?

HQ: Don’t shut me out.

PI: Shut you out?

HQ: I thought we were really making a breakthrough last session.

PI: What about that session made you think it was a breakthrough?

HQ: You were talking to me, about your anxieties, about your problems.

PI: My only problem is you primates destroying the only habitat known to support your particularly annoying brand of life.

HQ: Perhaps this was a mistake, you’re clearly not ready to help yourself after what happened last week.

[I stand and go to leave.]

PI: Ugh, fine. I’ll talk about Harvey.

[I sit.]

PI: He thinks I’m responsible for his condition.

HQ: I heard the Maroni crime family was behind it.

PI: Not ‘that’ condition, the other one.

HQ: His Dissociate Identity? Identities?

PI: Yeah. That one. Except I knew for sure that he had been dealing with it since childhood.

HQ: How?

PI: He told me, and I broke into his psych’s office while I was researching him.

HQ: I can’t condone that.

PI: You can’t condone me breaking into his psych’s office while trying to seduce and manipulate him? Shocker.

HQ: Well, since you’re obviously bored of this topic, let’s move on.

PI: Let’s.

HQ: Willis Isley.

PI: No.

HQ: You need to talk about him, Pamela.

PI: No, I don’t.

HQ: He was killed with your poison.

PI: Is its common knowledge around here that my father was the first person Poison Ivy killed?

HQ: No, it isn’t. I looked into his Autopsy report.

PI: Good, at least you people have that much decency.

HQ: I don’t think you did it on purpose.

[Pamela says nothing.]

HQ: You said last week that you hurt people that you come into contact with.

PI: I- I meant that literally.

HQ: Maybe, but that wasn’t the only way it was the truth. What happened? Did he hurt you?

PI: No. Not on purpose anyway.

HQ: Not on purpose?

PI: Willis Isley was the best dad any son could want.

HQ: But that wasn’t you.

PI: No, he meant well and tried to support me. But you humans, you’re terrible at empathy.

HQ: Support you…?

PI: In being the woman I should have been from the start. He was just ignorant, and couldn’t relate to a daughter. Couldn’t understand why I cried myself to sleep, compulsively shaved, or when I went into a scientific field if I ‘wanted to be a woman’.

HQ: That must have been hard on you.

PI: He once asked if I was trying to replace my mother. She had died when I was young.

HQ: I’m sorry.

PI: He eventually learned some things, even if it was rather slowly.

HQ: So when do you think things started going wrong?

PI: Partway through university I went in for surgery. I think that made it seem real to him. We argued in the hospital waiting room, and he left me there.

HQ: Oh my…

PI: I had to make my own way home. Still drugged out. He apologised but I moved out pretty quickly after that.

HQ: That’s a horrible thing he did, and it was not your fault. But if I could say, that hardly seems like a reason to kill him.

PI: That wasn’t-

[she takes a deep breath.]

PI: After Jason Woodrue injected me with the serum I was delirious; I needed someone to watch out for me, for some reason I chose him.

HQ: Perhaps you were hoping he’d make it up to you this time?

PI: Maybe. I hadn’t seen him for nearly a year then. He tried to help. There I was, curled into a ball on my childhood sofa, mottled green skin, sprouting leaves… I was still changing… he tried to comfort me, but- but-

HQ: You didn’t have control of the poisons inside you.

PI: No. But I still woke up two days later to find him dead.

HQ: Pamela, that wasn’t your fault.

PI: Wasn’t it? I decided to go there.

HQ: You couldn’t have thought something like that would happen.

PI: He’s still dead.

HQ: Pamela, I’d like to outline an idea for you.

PI: Okay.

HQ: And I’d like you to tell me if it’s accurate.

PI: Fine.

HQ: You’re blaming yourself for your father’s death.

PI: Obviously.

HQ: And your guilt from that is part of the reason you’re so devoted to your crusade, you want to make up for that event.

PI: No.

HQ: The guilt you feel plays no part in it?

PI: Not a signific-AAAAHHH.

[Pamela cried out at this point in pain, or some sort of powerful emotion, she tried to move her hands to hold her head but the chains secured her arms down.

HQ: Pamela?!

PI: It- something- out there-

[the guard outside the cell switched off the UV band of the lights in Ivy’s cell, which began to calm her down slightly. Her pain subsided over the next ten minutes but we decided that she should rest until the next session.]

Pamela’s difficulty at the start of this session was rather disappointing. Managing to get her to talk is a sign of our growing rapport. As for Harvey, I’ll be cc’ing his psychiatrist Dr Kellerman in this report, hopefully Pamela’s statements about his condition and the blame he places on her can be of some use to him.

I’m rather disappointed that our session was cut short by Pamela’s strange episode. I was hoping another discussion the length of our previous one would occur, especially since the death of her father weighs heavily on her consciousness.

She acknowledges her guilt over his death is a part of her reason for pursuing the crusade, but she continues to imply there is more.

Her guilt, although misplaced, is perfectly understandable. I will, however, be researching more in the future about how her father treated her, and how that compares to other experiences of transgender people.

I must say, Pamela’s case is quite far outside of my own understanding. Her case has led me to do more independent research than for my other 3 patients combined.

Speaking of my other patients: Mr Wesker has official moved to an outpatient status and will be attending a psychiatrist in Gotham for the near future. He’s come so far since I first saw him and I’m proud to have helped him gain the ability he has now.

Mr Crane continues to be uncooperative, but I hope to be able to get through to him soon.

Mr Joker is an outstanding patient. He’s taken to calling me a nickname, Harley Quinn; a play on words from my name on Harlequin the carnival demon. It’s honestly a little embarrassing. He’s made great strides since I’ve been helping him, honestly, it’s very easy to get through to him if you care; I don’t know how no one else managed to before now. He’s been in here for a few months now, and I think the time away from being beat up by Batman has done him a world of good.

Anyway, that should be all for now. I’ll send the next report when I can.


	9. Report 09: Swamp Thing

Transcript begins now

Harleen Quinzel (HQ): Hi, Pamela. I’m sorry we had to leave last session where we did.

Poison Ivy (PI): Not talking anymore about the father I killed? The headache was a relief.

HQ: You can’t say things like that, Pamela. It’s just reinforcing your self-hatred and guilt.

PI: I’ve heard that before, it doesn’t matter to me much.

HQ: That’s not healthy.

PI: Maybe for me it is, but the earth is more important. I do have to acknowledge that you were right, his death is part of the reason why I’m dedicated to my ‘crusade’.

HQ: I have been meaning to ask, why else are you fighting so hard for it?

PI: Isn’t wanting to save the planet enough?

HQ: Everyone has to deal with that, what makes it so important to you? Is it to do with your hallucinations?

PI: I don’t have hallucinations.

HQ: I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you. It’s just you mentioned hearing voices during our first session and I’ve been meaning to talk about it with you.

PI: I don’t hear voices Harley.

HQ: You said-

PI: I hear screams. I Don’t know how, and I don’t know why but I know they’re from plants.

HQ: I didn’t know plants could think. I- I’m sorry if that came across as mocking or anything.

PI: Screaming is just the best word I can find to describe it. It’s more like a feeling, like a panic. Like drowning in thin, contaminated air. Like being torn up from everything you’re used to just to save five minutes of a commute. It’s like dying and having the doctors refuse to treat you.

HQ: That must be terrible.

PI: Last week it suddenly just got so bad. It usually grows dimmer the further away from a plant in trauma I am, but this was so loud it was like it was inside my skull. It-

[The lights in the wing shut off. No usable footage recorded; audio track continues.]

HQ: What the?

PI: Shit.

[Sound of the cell door opening.]

Unknown voice: Isley.

PI: What do you want? Why are you here?

Unknown Voice: I’ve come to offer a deal.

HQ: Pamela? Mister? Who are you?

Unknown Voice: That’s no concern of yours.

PI: It’s Batman.

HQ: Batman!?

Unknown Voice: Ugh. The deal.

PI: Let’s hear it.

Unknown Voice: I need your help.

PI: Sorry Batman, but I’m part of the villains’ union, one of the conditions is not helping bootlickers.

[That was a good joke.]

Unknown Voice: What about helping old Colleagues?

PI: That might be different.

Unknown Voice: Alec and Linda Holland.

PI: Oh my god, did something happen to them?

Unknown Voice: They vanished out of their research station in the Louisiana bayou.

PI: Shit, why on earth were they there?

Unknown Voice: Research.

PI: What were they really doing? Why are you so interested in finding them?

Unknown Voice: From what I’ve managed to piece together they were working on some sort of formula to promote plant growth.

PI: And what d’you want with them? Going to force them to sell to your bosses at pennies on the dollar? Going to sell it at a six thousand percent mark-up? Or just hush it all up?

Unknown Voice: I give you my word that I just want them to be safe. And I’ll see about getting the Commissioner to drop some of the charges against you.

PI: What do I care about charges?

Unknown Voice: Maybe you don’t, but the sooner you’re out the sooner you can go back to terrorising the people of Gotham.

HQ: Whoa, Whoa, Whoa, timeout! I’ve heard just about enough about you from my patients, Batman.

Unknown Voice: Stay out of this.

PI: Harleen, shut up.

HQ: No, I will not! You aren’t here, you don’t hear the stories about you every single day of how you smashed their ribs in, or knocked out their teeth, or froze them!

Unknown Voice: …

HQ: Got nothin’ to say for yourself? Huh? Afraid to realise that you’re making everyone in here worse when they’re just trying to live their lives? Save the planet? Make people smile?

Unknown Voice: Isley, I need an answer.

HQ: Don’t you ignore me!

PI: Okay you rodent; I’ll help you find them.

Unknown Voice: Good.

[The cell door closes.]

HQ: And another thing-!

[the lights turn back on, revealing I am alone in Pamela’s cell.

As frustrating as it can be working in the mental healthcare sector, it doesn’t compare at all to my brief encounter with the Batman. I really get what Ivy and Joker have been saying, he’s such a brick wall. A big holier-than-thou attitude. I have no idea how or why the GCPD work with him.

That’s another thing, he works with the GCPD. Surely there must be some rule against working with vigilantes somewhere. His brutality is truly disgusting. Not just what he’s done to Pammy in the past, but the thought that he’s never going to face any consequences for the dozens if not hundred of counts of assault and GBH he’s been responsible for.

I don’t know who these Alec and Linda Holland are to Pamela, but either they’re really important to her or she just went way down in my estimates.

But about her episode last session. Pamela said it suddenly got worse, like it was inside her. If I could have, I would have tested her for poisons, but with her being Poison Ivy that was rather unlikely. Not that I would have got a chance to anyway, what with Batman showing up. These screams she describes, I am not sure if they come from her own physiology, or the plants near her, like she said.

I’m sorry this report is so short; I just can’t focus with that Batman on my mind.


	10. Report 10: Green and Red

Pamela reappeared in her cell 2 days after Batman kidnapped her. Did he kidnap her? She was willing, but at the same time in custody of Arkham. I’ll need to ask the Warden.

When I say ‘reappeared’ I mean returned. The same mysterious lighting failure that cloaked the Batman during her exfiltration preceded her appearance in her cell.

The transcript of her return interview can be found below.

Pamela Isley (PI): I suppose you’re going to ask me what happened with Batman?

Harleen Quinn (HQ): It’d crossed my mind.

PI: He flew me to Louisiana, and I tried to track down Alec and Linda.

HQ: First, who are they to you? Because from what you’ve told me you’d never work with Batman unless you had a dang good reason for it.

PI: Me and Linda were classmates. Friends.

HQ: That’s not all, is it?

PI: No. She- She was the first person I came out to. The first person to acknowledge the real Pamela Isley.

HQ: Oh.

PI: When Alec came along and they got together, he accepted me just the same. He was the one to suggest I was one of Linda’s bridesmaids.

HQ: That must have been good for you.

PI: It was. Their parents disapproved, but no one argues with the bride on her wedding day.

HQ: Not unless they’ve got a death wish.

PI: Yeah. I think they might have been the only people who ever truly understood me. Huh.

HQ: What?

PI: Oh, I just realised something, I’ll get to it later.

HQ: Okay.

PI: They tried looking for me after everything happened with Woodrue, even after Poison Ivy appeared.

HQ: They sound very loyal.

PI: It was obvious to anyone who knew me before, exactly who Poison Ivy was. They sent me letters in here a few times.

HQ: You haven’t received mail for more than a year, I checked your records.

PI: I persuaded them not to.

HQ: Why?

PI: Take your pick of reasons.

HQ: Pamela…

PI: I assume after that they kept studying, worked their way to doctors. They were doing field work in the bayou.

HQ: What did Batman say it was for? A plant formula?

PI: We found the specifics in their research camp. They called it a ‘Bio Restorative’. It was meant to encourage plant growth.

HQ: That sounds pretty useful.

PI: It depends.

HQ: How so?

PI: Like I said, corporations would pay billions to ensure it never got out. Without needing to wait for crops to grow, the value of produce would shrink. In financial terms, at least.

HQ: How d’you reckon that?

PI: It’s supply and demand.

HQ: Oh, of course.

PI: Do you really think I wouldn’t have studied basic economics? That I’d fight something without knowing anything about it? I saw the sort of games Wall Street plays, and I was disgusted by them.

HQ: Why d’you say that?

PI: Really Harleen? There hasn’t been a decade without a recession in living memory.

HQ: I didn’t mean anything by it, I’m just not an expert. So, about the Hollands.

PI: Yeah. Turned out someone did want to stop their work from getting out.

HQ: Who?

PI: I’m not sure, and if Batman knows he wasn’t telling me. The place had been shot up, there was heavy blood splatter.

HQ: Oh no. Pamela, I’m sorry.

PI: We followed the trail out into the swamp. I don’t know why they went that way, but from the tracks it looked like they were leaning on each other. Then there was this… hollow, not like a forest hollow, it was an emptiness in the plant life.

HQ: Do you think someone dug everything up to erase them?

PI: No. They were drenched in the formula at the time, and it affected the surrounding vegetation.

HQ: I thought you said it was a hollow?

PI: It was, and we soon found out why. The thugs who had tried to kill them had followed us, wanted us to lead them to the bodies, I guess.

HQ: And then?

PI: I don’t know how neither of us noticed. But right as the thugs were about to fire, they saved us.

HQ: The Hollands are still alive?!

PI: Sort of. Their consciousnesses and memories seeped into the swamp around them through the formula, or so we guessed. A ‘Gestalt Swamp Thing’ they called themselves.

HQ: You mean-

PI: No, they’re not like me, they were combined into a being of pure flora; besides, they’re far too… politically detached to ever take my path. But there is an upside.

HQ: An upside?

PI: We managed to figure out the screams.

HQ: Oh, that’s fantastic!

PI: It’s called the Green, it’s a telepathic field surrounding the planet, linking every plant.

HQ: It binds us and penetrates us, holds the universe together.

PI: You know what happened earlier in the film to the guy who mocked the Force, right?

HQ: Sorry, I shouldn’t make fun. I’m really happy you’ve managed to learn about yourself, Pamela.

PI: It’s also what was causing the disturbance the session before last, they were dying while connecting to the Green. Rather stressful.

HQ: So… are they okay? Or…?

PI: They’re fine, I’m not saying where though.

HQ: Oh, of course, I wouldn’t expect you to, that seems like the sort of thing that could put them in danger.

PI: Huh.

HQ: What?

PI: Oh, I was just thinking; you wouldn’t have accepted an answer like that from me when we first started these sessions.

HQ: I- Thanks, I guess?

PI: But you need to listen to me when I tell you this: Leave Arkham.

HQ: What do you mean?

PI: You need to leave, transfer somewhere else, find a new career, go live off the grid, whatever. Just leave here.

HQ: Pamela, what are you talking about?

PI: Joker.

HQ: What are you saying? He’s my best patient.

PI: He’s not your patient Harleen, you’re his.

HQ: What does that even mean?

PI: It means that you need to go, he’s not healthy for you.

HQ: He’s a patient, and he’s actually trying to get better, unlike you!

PI: No, he’s not. You don’t hear him in the dining hall. He’s always boasting about how he’s got you wrapped around his little finger.

HQ: That’s a lie!

PI: Trust me, Harleen. I spent nearly twenty years listening to how men talk about women when they think none are around. He’s using you.

HQ: No, he’s not.

PI: Really? What about the extra pillow you brought him the other day, out of your own pay check?

HQ: That was for his back! And how do you not use people? What about Dr Keller?

PI: That’s completely different! I’m trying to save your pathetic species from choking itself to death! He’s just using you for his own sick idea of fun!

HQ: Shut up, Shut up, Shut Up!

PI: I know you’re not going to believe me when I show you that you people are destroying our only home, but please, listen to me about this; Woman to Woman.

HQ: What you know about being a woman? You’re just an oversexed honeypot imitation!

PI: I- You!

[It was at this point I lost consciousness. It appears Poison Ivy flooded the cell with a knockout toxin, in the process setting off an alarm.]

I will not be commenting on our argument about the Joker except that I regret what I said in the moment about her. My insinuations as to the validity of her identity may have permanently damaged my doctor/patient relationship with her. Honestly, I’m actually rather surprised that I’m still alive, the last time someone said something of the sort he was in the hospital for weeks. Mr Tetch still can’t look at plants directly.

I’m sorry, I just can’t focus right now, I’ll come back to this report later.

It’s later and I’m hoping to be able to focus now.

So, I consulted with the Warden and he is unsure if Batman did legally kidnap Ms Isley, but if so will not be filing charges. Seeing as the cells in Arkham are mostly full thanks to Batman this is hardly surprising.

I called the commissioner’s office about Batman possibly reducing Ms Isley’s sentence in exchange for her help. He hasn’t heard anything, so either Batman went back on his word, or she managed to convince him to give her something else in exchange for her help.

During Ivy’s absence I studied some of the Holland’s works. They were doing some very advanced work and I’m sure if the scientific community finds out they will really regret their losses. I suppose it slightly lessens the blow of their deaths for Ivy that they survived in some form.

Needless to say, friends are important, and for Pamela to have two such close friends during a difficult time in her life as the beginning of her transition must have helped immensely. Cutting herself off from them when she became Poison Ivy is deeply troubling. That’s not healthy behaviour, even if you can hear the plants around you suffering due to climate change. She must have been under extraordinary pressure at the time to cut them out of her life.

Her feeling like they might not understand at the time is, to some extent, fair. She had just metaphorically entered this whole new world that they would most likely doubt the existence of. Not to mention that she had just inadvertently caused her father’s death.

Them attempting to stay in contact is just another piece of evidence that shows how much they mattered to each other.

As for why Pamela did so…

Possibly to distance herself from humans, seeing as once she arrived in Arkham she knew she’d have to use them; distancing herself from her friends and old life may have been a coping tactic. Perhaps she was ashamed of what she’d done, or the results of Woodrue’s serum?

Speaking of Woodrue’s serum, given the similarity between the accidental effects on the Hollands and the effects on Pamela; I wonder if they were trying to research Pamela’s condition in their ‘Bio-Restorative’ formula research. Well, it’s too late now, I guess. Not that Ivy would ever accept a ‘cure’.

The fate of the Hollands themselves perplexes me. What would it be like? To merge one’s consciousness with another?

Whoa, sorry, just spaced out a bit there.

So: The Green.

Now that it’s been revealed that the cause of Pamela’s auditory hallucinations is not a chemical imbalance, or coping mechanism, or another unspecified syndrome, I have to wonder if she’s right.

Right about taking extreme action to prevent a global catastrophe, and about whether those guys on Wall Street are worth that much. I looked it up, she’s right. There’s basically been a recession every decade since at least the 1850s, the records get a bit spotty before then.

I’m not about to put on a… what are those Russian hats called? But she has a point.

I should probably clarify, I am not at all intending to leave Arkham any time soon, no matter what Pamela says about Mister Joker or any other of my patients.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So my version of Swamp thing is both the Hollands because that makes much more sense than just the dude.
> 
> Also, the end of this chapter was a real slog to write.  
> And it's looking like the total length is an estimated 20k words atm


	11. Report 11: Mass Breakout

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note that this chapter contains a depiction of attempted rape.

This transcript recording began at 4:05pm, Tuesday the seventh. It was automatically compiled and sent to the internal Arkham Casefile Database.

Harleen Quinzel (HQ): Oh geez.

Aaron Cash (AC): Need some help there, Dr Quinzel?

HQ: Oh, thanks Mr Cash.

AC: How many times do I have to tell you to call me Aaron?

HQ: As long as you keep calling me Dr Quinzel.

AC: Here you go.

HQ: Thanks for the help. Oh, my recorder.

AC: Can’t lose that. Where you off to now?

HQ: Lunch, finally.

AC: That clown keep you talking again?

HQ: No, no, just a scheduling issue.

AC: Preaching to the choir, Doctor.

HQ: I have been thinking about that offer.

AC: Careful, brass don’t like to hear us talking about the U-word.

HQ: Well, maybe all of Ivy’s leftie talk has been getting through to me.

AC: Boss’d hate that even more; you know I heard he’s planning on breaking ground within the year on an iron mine underneath the Arkham estate?

HQ: I had; you probably don’t want it getting out among the more escape-happy patients.

AC: Yeah, and there’s one patient in particular I’m rather concerned about.

HQ: To be honest, I am too. They just eliminated another guard from the post outside Croc’s cell.

AC: The Croc isn’t who I’m concerned about.

HQ: Looking to turn in your ‘bravest guard in Arkham’ medal, Mr Cash?

AC: I said concerned, not scared.

HQ: Oh, not you too.

AC: The Joker.

HQ: You been talkin’ to Ivy?

AC: I didn’t have to; I’ve been reading your reports.

HQ: Do you have a home life?

AC: I do, like I know when my son stole a cookie and asks me if I got the croc today.

HQ: What does that mean?

AC: It means you’re avoiding the question.

HQ: There’s no question, I can handle him.

AC: I’m not doubting you, I’m doubting him.

HQ: He’s really been-

[Crashing sound]

AC: Those are cell doors, patients aren’t scheduled to free time for an hour.

[Aaron Cash draws Enforcement Baton.]

AC: Stay close. Doctor Young! Over here!

Penelope Young (PY): Harleen, Mr Cash; do either of you know what’s going on?

AC: Sounds like the cells have been opened automatically.

HQ: We’ve got to get somewhere safe.

PY: The Armory is close.

AC: No way, that’s the first place they’d go.

HQ: The psych staff room.

AC: Never been, has it got heavy furniture?

PY: Ikea stuff, but it’s big.

AC: We’ll have to risk it. Lead the way.

[sounds of fighting begin to break out through walls. Light static enters recording track]

AC: What’s that?

[He draws his sidearm]

HQ: What’re you talking about Mr Cash? I didn’t hear anything.

PY: I- what?

HQ: Penny? What’s gotten into you-?

PY: Mother? What are you-?

AC: He’s here. I’ll hold him off best I can; Doctor Quinzel, you get Doctor Young to the staff room, and barricade the door.

HQ: What are you talking about Aaron? There’s no one ther-. Pamela…

PY: No! Mother, I’m sorry! I tried to do what you wanted, I-

AC: I told you to run, He’ll focus on me, only got a taste last time; now Croc’s back to finish me off.

HQ: No, I do not want that! I- you’re just my patient! Nothing more!

PY: Mother, stop it, please; I’ll try to be better for you next time.

[Flitting as Aaron Cash fires his dart gun into the growing smoke.]

AC: Go down, you ugly bastard!

HQ: No, your records… it said you had…

[Penelope young collapses to the ground, sobbing.]

AC: You may have taken my hand, but you’re not going to take me away from my boy.

HQ: Wait, screw plant physiology, I did research; you’re not the real Poison Ivy! Which means… fear toxin!

AC: Die!

[Harleen is hit with a tranq dart from Aaron Cash’s gun.]

HQ: Aaron, it’s the Scarecrow’s fear toxin! Someone must have got into storage!

AC: D-Doctor Quinzel? What-

HQ: Penny! Listen to me, it’s not real! It’ssnnnotrrrreeaal-

[Harleen Quinzel collapses.]

AC: Oh god, Doctor! I’m sorry, I thought it was Croc. Doctor Young? Doctor Young, snap out of it, please. I’m gonna need your help to carry Doctor Quinzel to the staff room.

PY: Aaron? What-

AC: Fear toxin, we need to get moving.

[There is the sound of shuffling as they support Harleen’s unconscious body between them.]

PY: Sorry I went to pieces back there.

AC: I did too, Doctor Quinzel snapped me out of it.

PY: Pretty pathetic, a psychiatrist who can’t even stop caring about her mother’s expectations.

AC: Hey, I won’t tell if you don’t spread around that I’m scared of the Croc.

PY: You’re something else, Aaron. Here we are.

[Sound of a door opening]

AC: Let’s lay her down on the sofa over there.

[Harleen is lowered to the sofa]

AC: Alright, what entrances are there into here?

PY: Just the door and some windows.

[Footsteps]

AC: These overlook the bay, unless we’re real unlucky they should be secure. As for the door- Oh, hey Bolton.

Lyle Bolton (LB): The freaks are in the armoury.

AC: Most likely the patients found their way into the storage room too. We encountered some fear toxin on our way here.

LB: Most likely scenario is we’re dealing with a mass breakout.

AC: I hate to say it, but unless we do something, you’re right. Doctor young, can you push this bookshelf?

[Straining]

PY: No.

AC: One of us will need to stay here to push it then. The other can try to find their way out to wherever the other guards are regrouping. Maybe try to convince some patients back into their cells.

LB: If you wanna risk yourself out there for these psychos be my guest.

AC: Always full of positivity, eh Bolton?

LB: Whatever.

AC: Wait, I hear something…

[Aaron Cash presses his ear against the door and listens.]

AC: It’s the clown. He’s asking if someone got something for him from the vault. Wait, now he’s asking if someone is okay? His group is too far away now, can’t hear a thing.

[Aaron opens the door.]

AC: Bookcase.

[Door closes.]

LB: Alright, Doctor Penelope, time to see how a real man handles problems.

[Slow scraping across floor as bookshelf slides in front of the door.]

PY: We should be safe no-

[Sound of glass shattering.]

PY: Aaahh

LB: Doctor? Penelope? Oh shit, which one is that guy? Firebug? Killer moss?

[Lyle Bolton makes his way over to the sofa, footsteps crunching on glass.]

LB: Err, I should probably leave you there, Penelope; don’t want to scratch up your back or anything.

[the distant sound of fighting goes on for several minutes.]

LB: I don’t remember seeing you around much? Id, Id, Id; Harleen Quinzel? That’s a freak name if I ever saw one. Maybe we could get better acquainted if you were to get locked up in this place, if you catch my drift.

[He continues in this vein for several minutes before attempting to disrobe Harleen.]

Pamela Isley (PI): Leave her alone.

LB: Poison Ivy? How did you? Oh, yeah, vines.

PI: I said to get away from the girl, or else.

LB: Got a thing for her, eh? Looking to… err… get a stem wet?

PI: Three.

LB: You wouldn’t have the guts to attack a guard.

PI: Two.

LB: Fuck off and find your own piece of meat, [Derogetory slur].

PI: One.

LB: Alright, Alright, Alright! Geez, can’t a guy get some action for once?

PI: Oh, I’ll give you some action alright.

[A vine curls around Lyle Bolton’s torso and plucks him from the room via the broken window.]

PI: Why don’t you go downstairs and play with your toys.

[The vine deposits him a floor down.]

PI: Now, to put this situation right.

[A vine moves Penelope Young from the glass-covered floor to the sofa. Poison Ivy steps into the room.]

PI: Urgh, what are you doing, Pamela? Why are you getting so soft?

[Recording ends.]

Pamela Isley, Harleen Quinzel, and Penelope Young were found in the psychiatric staff room after the riot was quelled. Pamela Isley was taken into custody and returned to her cell. Security recordings showed that she stayed in the psychiatric staff room and stood guard over the unconscious psychiatrists.

Lyle Bolton was placed on paid leave, per Mr Arkham’s orders.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AKA Cameos


	12. Report 12: In Progress

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains a discussion of coercive sex/rape

As a reward for good behaviour in the mass riot, my colleague Hugo Strange has once again voiced the opinion that Ms Isley should be given a potted plant. I am still sceptical as to what he hopes to achieve with this beyond a breakout, but I am grateful to Pamela for her actions during the riot and have seen fit to allow it. I delivered it during our weekly interview.

Transcript begins below:

Pamela Isley (PI): What’s this?

Harleen Quinzel (HQ): A reward for good behaviour.

PI: You really are foolish if you think this will encourage me to stay here.

HQ: You had a chance to escape during the riots, but you didn’t.

PI: That’s… different.

HQ: How is it? Is it because I was in danger?

PI: …

HQ: I wanted to thank you, personally.

PI: Do you really think I’d want your thanks for something like that?

HQ: I under- No, I don’t think I’ll ever understand how I hurt you with what I said last session; but I wanted to apologise for it.

PI: Harleen.

HQ: I was horrible, saying those things. If you don’t want to accept my thanks because of that, it’s ok.

PI: Harl, I’m not going to accept you thanking me for saving you from being raped. I did what any decent person would have done in that situation, and that shouldn’t deserve a reward.

HQ: I- okay.

PI: [sigh] I am grateful you brought me a plant.

[several seconds pass in silence]

HQ: It wouldn’t be the first time.

PI: I’m sorry.

HQ: Can i- can I talk to you about it?

PI: I’m not going to be your replacement Joker, Harleen.

[The Joker escaped during the riots and his whereabouts are currently unaccounted for.]

HQ: I- I know…

[silence]

PI: But if it will help you process recent traumas better, you can talk to me.

HQ: Thank you.

PI: Please, really don’t mention it.

HQ: It wasn’t like what you hear about; it wasn’t in an alleyway, or in a club, or a party. It was at university. I was so close to graduating. I was working two jobs on top of my final year courses.

PI: Go on.

HQ: You’re not going to comment about how I had to work two jobs because of the underpayment of workers?

PI: Not this time.

HQ: I- I didn’t have much time to study. I was called to one of my teacher’s offices. He-

[I began to get emotional by this time]

PI: You can stop, if you want.

HQ: No, i- I need to talk to someone. He said I’d failed and I’d have to retake his subject. I was scared, Pammy, I would have to keep studying another year. I wouldn’t be able to begin real work, helping people, maybe being able to survive without my parents chipping in by myself.

PI: He offered you an alternative.

HQ: Yeah. I didn’t realise what it all meant at the time, but now…

PI: If you like, I could release some chemicals to calm you down slightly.

HQ: Yes please.

[The alarm begins to sound but I turn it off and signal ok to the guards.]

PI: Give me his name, he dies screaming.

HQ: No, I don’t want-

PI: He needs to be stopped. If he did this to you then he’s done this to others. He will do this to others.

HQ: I- I can’t tell you.

PI: You can, Harleen.

HQ: No, I can’t. Management monitors these sessions, if I told you and he turned up dead, I would be fired and blacklisted.

PI: I don’t suppose there’s a way to convince you to let me out of this cell so you can tell me while we’re not being recorded?

HQ: Again, No.

PI: It was worth a try.

HQ: I have been wondering, you’ve stopped trying to seduce me.

PI: Have I?

HQ: You’ve opened up, like a flower.

PI: I guess you’re just that good of a psychiatrist.

HQ: There’s more, just like there was with you and your crusade.

PI: I wanted you to feel what it was like to have a real patient.

HQ: Real patient?

PI: Well, apart from Wesker.

HQ: You-

PI: When I said I had worked with him before, I didn’t mention why I don’t anymore.

HQ: Mr Wesker?

PI: No, the other one.

HQ: Scarface?

PI: Joker.

HQ: Oh, Mister J.

PI: Yeah, that one.

HQ: He is a real patient.

PI: I don’t want to argue, because you’ve shown that won’t work.

HQ: Because you’re wrong.

PI: It was the second job we ran together. He was in charge of the guards; I was getting past the heat sensors without tripping them.

HQ: Oh wow. How’d you do that?

PI: How else? Plants. They’re… how do I explain this? Cold blooded, they don’t generate their own body heat.

HQ: What were you stealing?

PI: Like you said, recording. I’m not admitting to that. But when I came back, he had all the guards tied up and was terrorising them.

HQ: It’s easy to be scared in stressful situations.

PI: You don’t understand, he enjoyed the power he had over these people. He was lording over them with a knife, he enjoyed their fear.

HQ: I- I don’t believe that.

PI: Harleen. Please believe me when I say ‘I am trying to help you’.

HQ: I- No, You’re just jealous!

PI: Jealous?!

HQ: Yeah, jealous of Joker. And not doing a good job of hiding it.

PI: I- What? What are you even talking about?

HQ: Claiming that he’s copying you, what with trying to ‘seduce’ me or whatever! Hah!

PI: No! He’s not trying to seduce you, he’s twisting you, Harleen! You hardly even talk the same as at the beginning of our sessions!

HQ: Really? And how is whatever you do to your psychiatrists is any different from what you claim he is doing?

PI: I- No- It’s not the same! I am nothing like him.

HQ: I dunno, that doesn’t sound too convincing.

[Pamela clenches her fists then unclenches.]

PI: Please, Harleen. Just get away from him.

HQ: I can’t do that, Pamela.

[Session end.]

I’m sorry this report has come so late, Mr Arkham. I’ve been under a lot of pressure since the riots.

As Pamela said, she does not share my belief that she should be thanked for her actions during the riots. She rescued me, without any hope of reward (and without knowing my recorder had switched on earlier that day). Although I can see where she’s coming from there, that isn’t all she did. She stayed. She stayed to protect me and Dr Young. She could have easily escaped after ‘doing the decent thing’ as she puts it.

I believe this demonstrates a strength of character.

But this can also come with downsides. By Which I am referring to her dedication to her crusade, and through that, her more anti-social tendencies. It rather surprises me then, that she was so sympathetic to me when I chose to recount one of my past traumas.

For the record, I did not divulge to Pamela the name of the professor in any form. I have also not filed a formal complaint against Mr Bolton (not that there were any forms available, mind you).

This strength of character makes me wonder why she is so heavily projecting onto the Joker. Her claims that he is attempting to get under my skin is absolutely just a reflection of her own preferred style of escape.

It certainly says something about her that she keeps saying this, and insisting on bringing it up when she can to me; but I’m not quite sure of what yet. She could be jealous, as I accused her of during the session, jealous that I have positive feelings for the Joker when she’s spent a lot of time trying to seduce her psychiatrists. But I come along and she has no luck, at all.

Yes, the Joker and I are close; I’m invested emotionally in his recovery and potential re-integration into society. As I am to all of my patients. Except perhaps Mr Crane. He continues to be difficult. The effects of his gas are truly chilling. Showing someone their greatest fear, that’s an ability no one should have.

As for Pamela: her obsession with me and the Joker’s friendship (which I will admit is pretty close) is very concerning. Joker agrees too. We’re both pretty skeptical that he’s in any way ‘twisting’ me.

 

I’m sorry, I’m writing this a few hours after the previous part of the report. I was called in suddenly to Arkham.

Mr Wesker relapsed. No one is sure exactly how it happened. He says he was getting ready for bed when there was a knock at the door. He opened it to find someone had left the Scarface puppet out there. Its personality took over and influenced him. He was caught by Batman after as short crime spree. I’ve just gotten done talking to him and I’m running on two hours sleep.

I don’t think he could have retrieved Scarface from storage before he left, which means someone must have put it there. The riots would have given them the perfect cover.

But I still have no idea who did. I thought it might have been Batman, making sure his victims never recover so he stays valuable to the public. I dismissed that theory; Batman was in Washington DC at the time of the riots.

I’m sorry I’m going on about this so much. Mr Wesker is important to me, I used to think he was my first success. Arkham isn’t really what I expected it to be. It’s dark and dreary, the hours are long and unforgiving. The boss should be in here himself. He’s got a real sadistic streak.

Honestly, if it weren’t for the people I’m helping, and the impossibility at finding a job in this city, I might take Pamela’s advice to transfer somewhere, even if she has different reasons than me.

Argh, what am I saying? I’m going to go have a lie down somewhere.


	13. Report 13: The Little Things

Session transcript begins below.

Harleen Quinzel (HQ): Hiya, Pammy.

Pamela Isley (PI): Hello, Harleen.

HQ: What?

PI: Harleen, you’re going to get hurt.

HQ: Not this again.

PI: Yes, this again. Please just listen to me.

HQ: Look, just give up, I’m not going to give up on Joker.

PI: [Annoyed groan]

HQ: So, did you have anything else to say before we begin? I’m not feeling very patient at the moment.

PI: Only that I’m sorry about Wesker.

HQ: Thank you, Pamela.

PI: I know who did it.

HQ: You know who left the puppet outside his apartment?

PI: You’re not going to like it, though.

HQ: Look, if you’re just going to twist the situation to make Mister J look bad I might as well end this session right now.

PI: Fine.

HQ: Ok, now that that’s out of the way, I was wondering if we could talk about you and Children.

PI: Whatever. Sure. Having kids is something I had planned for before the incident with Woodrue, but at the moment ensuring they have a planet to grow up on is more important.

HQ: Why is having kids so important to you?

PI: I- What?

HQ: Why is that so important to you?

PI: Ugh, Harleen, do you want to have kids someday?

HQ: Well sure, no disrespect to people who don’t.

PI: Why do you want to have kids?

HQ: Well i-, I dunno. I just kinda do.

PI: There’s your answer.

HQ: That’s not an answer.

PI: Why isn’t that an answer?

HQ: That’s not a real reason.

PI: If it’s good enough for you, why isn’t it good enough for me?

HQ: Well, you’re… you know.

PI: Trans? Can’t carry them myself? Rendered infertile by my hybrid state?

HQ: Well, yeah.

PI: How does that stop me from someday wanting to have kids?

HQ: I-

PI: Do you go up to infertile couples on the street and tell them that they’re wrong if they want children?

HQ: No, of course not!

PI: Then get it through your thick skull, Harleen Quinzel, or whatever your name is. There is no difference between us in terms of gender.

HQ: Alright, jeez.

Guard (G): He got him!

HQ: What’d he say?

PI: He said ‘He got him’.

HQ: I- Oh no.

[I left Ms Isley’s cell at this point, I needed to make sure Joker was alright.]

There was Batman, holding Joker by the scruff of the neck. He was handcuffed and looked like he had been beaten into a pulp. Batman just dropped him on the floor, not even caring about the man he’d just beaten up. I managed to catch him, none of the orderlies even tried to help, they just would have let his head be smashed in on the concrete floors. Then they dragged him away, without consulting me, or checking for injuries that may need to be taken account for at the scene like neck trauma.

I’m really at the end of my rope, I’ve got to do something.

I didn’t go back and finish the session with Poison Ivy. She’s right in some sense of the word. Batman is the reason they’re all in here. He’s the reason they’re all staying in here. He’s the reason they all come back here.

If only someone could stop him.

Oh, the report about Pamela’s session, I need to do that.

She’s still concerned about the Joker and me, whatever. She insists that her future plans to have kids are normal for any other woman, but they’re only questioned because she’s a trans woman. She’s probably right, and I shouldn’t have asked in the first place.

Never mind, who cares about all that. I need to do something.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> only one more chapter left for me to write, and then I'll post that and the epilogue.


	14. Report 14: Poison Ivy

This is Poison Ivy, and if you’re reading this, it means I’ve failed.

I need to go after Harleen Quinzel. She ran past my cell little under a half an hour ago. She was supporting the Joker along with her. She was in a red and black costume, a ‘Harlequin’ outfit.

I spent a lot of time trying to convince her, and every other psychiatrist before her, into joining my cause. Someone else just beat me to it. Part of me can’t really believe it. She went rogue for HIM?

I need to calm down. I’m trying to focus on both writing this and burrowing out of Arkham’s walls with a pot plant. The later of which is difficult on good days.

I saw it coming, of course. It’s why I was trying so hard to convince her to leave Arkham. Why I was trying so hard to poison him for the last month. He just kept getting away from me.

I really don’t care much about what the punishment will be when Batman inevitably recaptures me. Whatever Joker has planned for her isn’t good. Best case scenario is he leaves her corpse in a ditch somewhere.

No, I shouldn’t think like that. What are the alternatives? He could take her hostage, that’s probably not so bad. He could… mutilate her corpse and hang it from Gotham Central station. No, that’s too Calendar Man. He could… oh shit, he could just keep her as a pet. Which means he’ll want something to secure their ‘relationship’.

Under my mattress I have a copy of Joker’s file. Not Arkham’s file on him, Batman’s. In exchange for helping find the Hollands I managed to pursued him to give it to me instead of reducing my sentence.

I may have told her differently, but it wasn’t me who worked with Joker on that job when he terrorised the guards. It was Catwoman. I suppose that’s how Batman found out about it, she and Batman are all buddy buddy. She’d better have a good reason for working with that corporate stooge, or I might just introduce her to my own personal strain of Catnip.

I’ve been reading about him for weeks. I hadn’t even heard of some of the things he’s done. That’s American news media for you.

There are three significant locations I think Joker might take Harleen. The Carnival is connected to him on an aesthetic level, which means that’s quite likely. According to the file Joker is also connected to the blown-out warehouse on the north side labelled ‘R’. Then there’s Ace Chemicals.

That pit of corporate greed, spoiling Gotham bay with sludge for profit.

No, I need to focus.

According to Batman, he’s identified some strange chemicals from there that are similar in composition to Joker Gas. Something connects them.

My plant is halfway through. I should be able to get out soon, I just need to make my way around to the mainland bridge and get back to Gotham proper.

I need to stop her from making the biggest mistake of her life.

Calm down Pamela. This isn’t-

No, I do need to take some responsibility for this. I could have done more, somehow.

The guards and orderlies ignore me, and I’ve told them before. Like they’d care, as long as it isn’t them getting dragged down with Joker.

Batman is worse, Joker getting out means his bosses can claim more insurance on things they were about to can. Even if he wasn’t a merc, why would he help Harleen? He’s shown more than often enough that he enjoys beating up me and the rest of these criminals. I still have scars from that night at the conservatorium.

Whoever is reading this, I can already tell you’re turning your nose up at me. Thinking that I’m just like that clown. I’ve half given up on trying to get it through your primate- no, primates serve to fill an ecological niche, you people just consume wherever you can. You think you can take whatever you want because of some God-given right over the planet. In the very near future that’s going to come and bite you in the ass, if I don’t get there first.

What matters is my actions have never, NEVER, hurt people like he has. Yes, I’ve killed, but out of necessity, he kills for amusement. He is the epitome of a male power fantasy. Being absolutely horrid to those around him and getting little to no reprisal for it. He’s even done this exact thing before according to the file; not enough for someone to bust him out of prison, but enough for them to say he was at the parole check-in when he was robbing the 6th bank of Gotham, enough to deliver a rose while he’s in prison, enough for him to get assigned the newest psychologist in Arkham.

Regardless of what happens with Harleen, I’m going to kill him when I find him.

Me and him are not the same. Not remotely. He lies to provoke sympathy; I show people the truth. Who cares if I sometimes use some chemical help? They’d all fall for me eventually anyway.

The plant has finished burrowing through, now it’s just widening the hole enough for me to get through. Or should I say ‘Dilating’?

Oh god… maybe I shouldn’t leave this note? It’ll give whoever attends to me after Harleen a bad picture. Or perhaps, with the right temperament it might help?

Whatever. It’s nearly done. This may be the first (and likely only time) I hate the progress hormones made on my hips.

Now, Harleen; I’m coming to save you.


	15. Report 15: Harley Quinn

My interview with Harleen Quinzel (AKA Harley Quinn) has been completed successfully.

Transcript begins:

Harleen Quinzel (HQ): What’s up, doc?

NA: Harleen Quinzel.

HQ: Pah.

NA: Is something the matter?

HQ: You’re not really very friendly, are ya?

NA: What do you mean by that?

HQ: Well, if there’s one thing Pamela taught me, it’s that self determination is really important. You gotta use peoples preferred names and stuff!

NA: Do you have a name that you would like me to refer to you with?

HQ: Well, duh. I’m Harley Quinn! Nice to meetcha! I’d shake your hand but I’m a bit tied up at the moment.

NA: The shackles are there for your protection.

HQ: Ooh, kinky.

[She is annoying]

NA: Very well, Harley Quinn.

HQ: That’s better!

NA: I was hoping to discuss someone with you.

HQ: Oh? Who? Is it my Puddin’?

NA: Who is your… ‘Puddin’?

HQ: That’s Mistah J, of course, you silly billy.

[Very annoying]

NA: As it happens, he is one of the people I wish to discuss with you today.

HQ: Well that’s fantastic! Whatcha wanna know?

NA: Where did he take you on the night you broke him out of Arkham Asylum?

HQ: Oh, we had a big ol’ adventure. We went to the Carnival! We saw the hall of mirrors, rode the Carousel, and played with the dodgem cars! I tell ya, Mistah J sure is competitive on those things.

NA: So, you played around on the rides?

HQ: Well, yeah. I hadn’t been to the Gotham carnival for ages; too busy with work, I guess.

NA: Alright, what else happened?

HQ: Well, we were getting pretty hungry, and none of the stalls at the carnival were open; so, we left and went to a convenience store or five.

NA: And…?

HQ: I grabbed some chips while my puddin’ made a withdrawal.

NA: He robbed them?

HQ: I guess? I wasn’t paying too much attention.

NA: What did you do after that?

HQ: We popped into Ace Chemicals and went back to Mistah J’s hideout, or one of them, I think.

NA: Hold on, why did you go to Ace Chemicals?

HQ: Mistah J wanted to show me something.

NA: And?

HQ: He showed me something cool. It was this big ledge, there was a big vat of green stuff below us.

NA: Did he say what the ‘Green Stuff’ was?

HQ: He said it was magic goop, but I saw on the side of the tank it said ‘Industrial Solvent’. Then he told me to jump in.

NA: What did he do when you didn’t?

HQ: Didn’t? You must not know my Puddin’, when he says jump, I say ‘But you just threw me off the ledge’ or something like that. Of course, I knew it was safe.

NA: You fell into the tank?

HQ: Yep.

[She has a habit of popping the p in ‘yep’]

NA: You seem rather alive for someone who fell into a tank of solvent.

HQ: See! That’s just Mistah J for ya, he’s always right.

NA: And this is when Ms Isley arrived, isn’t it?

HQ: Yep! I climbed outta the tank, all nakey and stuff, rode the elevator up to where my puddin’ was, and there she was too! She was choking him, super rude.

NA: What did you do?

HQ: I grabbed a board and smacked her around the face. Turns out I’m kinda really strong now.

NA: Have you noticed any other effects of the… ‘magic goop’ aside from that and your unusual complexion?

HQ: I- I’m fine, really. What’s a little sense of touch sacrificed for love?

NA: you can’t feel touch?

HQ: Well, I can. But I said a little, like a little bit of my sense of touch. And really, I wasn’t using that much at all. It’s been like a year since I’ve gotten any whoo-hoo, ya’know.

NA: I can relate.

HQ: Now that my hair’s like all white and stuff it’s so much easier to dye it. What d’you think I should try first? Pink, or red?

NA: I can’t comment on that. Please, continue with what happened at Ace Chemicals.

HQ: Mistah J said some rude words to Pammy, I’m not gonna repeat them here, though.

NA: I can imagine the sort he’d use.

HQ: So, then Pammy is all, ‘Harleen, is that you?’ and I told her not to hurt Mistah J, even if he did call her those rude words.

NA: I’m going to guess she didn’t take that well.

HQ: No, Ma’am. She pleaded with me to come with her, to get away from my Puddin’; I tells ya, Pammy’s pretty smart and pretty pretty but she just doesn’t get that what me and him have is special.

[As suspected, her ‘infatuation’ with the clown runs deep.]

NA: Hmm.

HQ: What she did next really pissed me off, she tried to knock me out!

NA: With her poison touch?

HQ: Yeah! So, I did a backflip and kicked her in the face.

NA: Did you have this level of instinctual acrobatics before now?

HQ: No way, like, I did gymnastics in grade school but I was nowhere near that good.

NA: Interesting.

HQ: Then Mistah J said he wanted a hug, and when I gave it to him Pammy was all frozen. You’da thought I had a gun to my head or somthin’.

NA: Go on.

HQ: I guess she was just convinced by the power of our love, so she just let us go. Told me to come find her when I could though.

NA: She didn’t try to follow you?

HQ: Nope, otherwise she probably woulda found the hideout before the Bat did.

NA: And he was the one that brought you to Gotham PD?

HQ: Uh huh. He caught us by surprise, had stitched up the hideout with a bunch of bat gadgets.

NA: Alright then. I think that’s all I need to hear.

[Sound: flit]

HQ: Oh, one more thing.

NA: Yes?

HQ: When’s my real psych gonna get here?

NA: …

HQ: Because it’s super obvious you’ve never studied it, at least in terms of therapy. Whooo are yooou, Lllady?

[The high-dosage tranquilizer I fired into her takes effect; Harley Quinn falls unconscious.]

Harleen Quinzel, once successful Psychiatrist here at Arkham, now a patient. She’s retained almost all of her intelligence and reasoning since her exposure. Her dexterity, balance, and flexibility are all significantly heightened, as well as her strength, and she likely now possesses a low-level healing factor similar to the Joker.

As for him, it is still unknown exactly what the effects of his exposure were. It is unknown why he exposed Harleen to the ‘industrial solvent’. It is my hypothesis that he did it to alienate her from others, and strengthen their inequitable relationship.

The amount of instability in each of them are likely influenced by ongoing chemical imbalances from the exposure.

Threat level: Joker: Medium

Threat level: Harley Quinn: Low-High (Dependant on her ongoing reliance on the Joker.)

As we had suspected, there massive industrial usage of the Substance in the Gotham Ace Chemicals plant. Once I find the supplier there, we’re one step closer to whoever the traitor is.

Once I have found the traitor I will return to Nanda Parbat.

Nyssa Al-Ghul, out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it!  
> A big thanks to everyone who has read and followed along with this.  
> Especially to my friend Psiidmon, who gave me some great inspiration for this final chapter.
> 
> I'll probably be going back over this story in a few weeks and re-editing, maybe smoothing out some dialogue too.


End file.
